Business

Kuwaiti European Holding: Marketing Tourist Destinations


Tourism as an industry holds a range of unique and interesting attributes when compared to other market sectors. Perhaps no other field can do as much to capture our attention, imagination, and ignite our collective proclivity for adventure.

While this can make the sector a great landing space for organizations and entrepreneurs, it can also make the marketing of a tourist destination a delicate process. To explore some of the nuances of operating in this space, we’ve turned to work by Kuwaiti European Holding. The international holding group has a string of successfully marketed tourist destinations under its belt and looking to these efforts can be informative for those seeking to enter the field.

Kuwaiti European Holding Focuses on Knowing its Audience

It’s commonly said in many sectors of business that one of the most critical skills a business can possess is the ability to know its customers. This is no less true in the field of tourism where customer desires can come in all shapes and sizes. What appeals to one particular group of travelers may not appeal to another and it can be difficult to create a destination that is going to be compelling for the entire market at a time. To address this variety, it is important to hone in on the specific desires of the audience to which one is trying to cater. By knowing that group’s preferences, an organization can seek to emphasize those attributes in its marketing materials.

This process, of course, first requires an understanding of who your target audience is. This concept, while seemingly simple on its surface, can be a major stumbling block for organizations and individuals new to the tourism space. One of the big hurdles here can occur when a business owner bases their marketing efforts off of their own desires and assumes those will translate to their audience. While this can sometimes work, such a strategy has the potential to leave out huge segments of the population that may be interested in a destination if properly introduced to its potential. A key way to avoid this trap is to spend time at the outset organizationally determining which types of demographics are likely to visit a location.

When we look at the work of Kuwaiti European Holding, we can see this idea vividly illustrated. One attraction developed by the company, the Aqueous Resort in Egypt, has become known for its focus on family gatherings and bringing groups of friends together in a new and beautiful environment. Since the company understood its target demographic early on, it was able to build an emphasis on group socializing into its development plans. This has resulted in a plethora of indoor and outdoor spaces at the resort that are suited for groups of various sizes. Correspondingly, marketing materials can highlight these features to appeal more directly to the target audience.

Seek Out Influencers in the Target Space

Identifying the members of the population most likely to visit a specific destination not only allows an organization to tailor their development efforts and messaging, but it also allows them to partner with influencers related to that area of focus. Social media has emerged as a critical marketing outlet in this respect, allowing organizations to target their efforts by partnering with popular social channels. Since access to data is so prolific in this area, it can be a great opportunity for an organization to hone in on influencers who appeal to the exact demographic that is interested in its offerings.

The actual process of working with an influencer can take many forms. This can include inviting the individual to a destination so they share the experience with their followers. It may also mean including the influencer more formally in marketing materials or even having them produce content on their own in lieu of such materials. No matter which route is taken, in many cases these marketing efforts can have a great return on investment due to their targeted nature.

Kuwaiti European Holding Leans on its Strengths

Another aspect of the work conducted by Kuwaiti European Holding that helps to illustrate effective marketing practices is its ability to leverage its strengths in related fields. To better understand this, let’s look to another of its developments — a themed resort in London set to open in 2024. The resort promises a wide range of attractions including rides, dramatic presentations, and consumer opportunities. While many organizations developing such a set of attractions may have been content to design it as a collection of simple thrills and shops, the holding group has been able to turn to its understanding of the field of entertainment to bring even more flair to its upcoming attraction.

This has manifested most visibly through partnerships with BBC and Paramount Pictures. Since both of these organizations hold the rights to some of the world’s most beloved film and television properties, the partnerships afford the ability to incorporate a higher degree of entertainment value in its many features. In doing so, the company has created space for additional marketing opportunities that can leverage the unique nature of the destination. While marketing efforts should ideally always seek to showcase the unique value presented by an offering, these efforts are greatly aided when the offering actually incorporates many aspects that aren’t found elsewhere.

Showcase the Surrounding Area

One final point on the marketing of tourist destinations pertains to the area surrounding the destination itself. No attraction exists in a vacuum and, by the nature of the endeavor, travelers to a destination are also going to be exposed to additional attractions adjacent to the location. By emphasizing the strengths of the surrounding areas, a well-crafted marketing campaign can appeal to potential travelers on multiple fronts. Such a campaign can incorporate a range of attributes, such as nearby eateries, natural formations, and even other developed attractions. By showcasing the range of options in the area, the campaign can communicate to its audience that a trip to the main attraction does not have to be the entirety of one’s travels.

Kuwaiti European Holding is well aware of the power of emphasizing the area surrounding an attraction and has built such considerations into its developments around the world. Turning back to the example of the Aqueous Resort, we can see this illustrated through the way in which the resort partners with many individuals and organizations in the area. In doing so, it provides guests with a way to access many of the offerings of the town and surrounding locations, such as its proximity to the Red Sea as well as unique cultural offerings like restaurants, markets, and natural exploration. This strategy has helped upscale the value the resort can offer to its patrons and has framed a trip to the location in a much larger context.

While marketing in the field of tourism can sometimes be a nuanced affair, learning to connect with travelers can be a key part of any successful attraction. To accomplish this, organizations and individuals in this space would do well to know their audience, partner with influencers, lean on their strengths, and showcase the area surrounding an attraction. The above example set by Kuwaiti European Holding helps to illustrate how these core concepts can manifest in practice. Look to additional work by the holding group to not only see how this plays out in other areas but also to gain a greater appreciation of how you may be able to incorporate these tenets in your own marketing efforts.



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